Author Archives: Drew Boyd

When I hire innovation team member, I always look for certain characteristics beyond just job experience and track record. I look for people who are competitive by nature, who have a high tolerance for ambiguity, who are great at networking, and who have a good head for numbers.

When you try on a new piece of clothing, like a shirt or a new jacket, what do you see when you look in the mirror? If you’re like most consumers, you’re not looking at the clothing. Rather, you’re looking at yourself and thinking about how that new clothing fits the image of the person you are or want to become. As a innovator, you need to understand this very important aspect..

Here's a nice example of the Attribute Dependency Technique, one of five in the innovation method called Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT). It's a great tool to make products and services that are "smart." They adjust and learn, then adapt their performance to suit the needs of the user.

Think about how often you push buttons during the normal course of a day, at home, in our car, and elsewhere - elevators, crosswalks, and so on. Did you ever stop to wonder how many of those buttons you push don't actually work?

CPP has long frustrated physicians. Although some doctors have suspected that factors such as endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome can cause CPP, it has always been difficult to make a definitive diagnosis. And without such a diagnosis, CPP is nearly impossible to treat. Or was. Until Dr. Palter had his idea.

The economic outlook for 2015 is, by most accounts, "slightly better than 2014." That, of course, depends on what industry you're in. For some, that outlook could be a lot better with an injection of good, old fashioned innovation. Here is my short list of five industries most ripe for innovation in 2015.